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On Gaines Street, a charcoal building built in 1950 is melding the area's industrial past with the present.

It represents Garages on Gaines Street, a retail model where half a dozen Tallahassee start-ups are tenants and bound to add to College Town's already vibrant atmosphere. A few tenants are moving in, customizing their space, and now the 14,000-square-foot building near the south corner of Gaines and Macomb streets is fully leased.

Owner Dean Minardi, who spent $1 million on renovations, designed it to attract local entrepreneurs such as Gabe Grass, owner and co-founder of Grasslands Brewing Co. Grass adores the location. But the homage to the building's early life as the McGowen Lighting Building felt right to him, too.

"You see a lot of the reoccurring theme in this tap room," Grass said. "This was a worn down railroad district. We were talking the other day and said, 'Have you noticed the number of people who are just walking and just walking back and forth on Gaines Street?' Four years ago, that wasn't happening."

All of the businesses will share some features, such as an exposed ceiling with visible air vents and piping and the same warehouse floor.

The rear of Grasslands still feels like a warehouse. It will house four fermentation tanks capable of making 60 kegs at a time, along with another area for the pilot tanks used for experimenting with flavors.

Gaines Street district hardly resemble its former life before millions were spent on turning the street from four to two lanes and adding palm trees and sidewalks. Residence Inn Hotel was the first major company to come in and it's been a parade of businesses ever since.

Garages on Gaines Street is another new concept to the area.

In addition to Grasslands, it will have the Engineers Without Borders, Catalina Cafe, a coffee and baked goods shop; Full Press, an apparel printing store; Atlas Fit, a business specializing in "adventure fitness;" and Gaines Street Pies, which is moving from its nearby location.

Grasslands will have a soft opening this month. Full Press is already open, and others are making the transition.

Minardi, chief financial officer for Bing Energy Inc., couldn't be more pleased the building is providing a place for local businesses to flourish.

"There are no franchises. There are no chains. It's all just local Tallahassee start-up businesses," Minardi said. "These are your neighbors."

Fifteen years ago, Minardi purchased the building from Skeeter McGowen.

It still holds the warehouse character from its 1950s roots, boasting the original ceiling and hard steel beams.

"It's something that speaks to the industrial history of Gaines Street," he said.

Already businesses are forging relationships and looking for cross-promotion opportunities. Grass, wearing his company's logo, said his T-shirt was made by his neighbor, Full Press.

Catalina Cafe is providing coffee for a brew blend at Grasslands. And patrons can have a beer and order a slice from Gaines Street Pies, and the pizzeria will deliver it to Grasslands at no charge. Matt Molnar, owner of Atlas Fitness, said he and Grass are discussing potential discounts for both of their customers.

"Why wouldn't you shop here, because all of your dollars are staying in Tallahassee as opposed to lining the pockets of someone who doesn't even live in Tallahassee," Grass said. "Nothing against Miami, but Miami is not Tallahassee ... Tallahassee is Tallahassee."

Molnar was born and raised here. But he never had many reasons to venture on this side of town let alone open an up-scale fitness center inside a warehouse, where clients can make noise, toss tires and challenge their "mental grit" on adult jungle gyms.

"It worked out to be such a great space to target the intended market I was driving for," Molnar said. "I think the feel is going to be great for the businesses that go into it."